YORK MP Hugh Bayley claimed today that a new flood map of the city was "incredibly misleading" - and could blight hundreds of riverside properties.

The online flood risk map, unveiled yesterday by the Environment Agency, is said by officials to be the most comprehensive and up to date ever produced.

But in York, while defences alongside the River Ouse are indicated, the areas they protect from flooding are not shown as being protected.

People clicking on to the map for the Leeman Road area, which is protected from the River Ouse by embankments, are told they are at moderate risk of being flooded.

A message reads: "Flood defences reduce, but do not completely remove the likelihood of flooding and can be overtopped or fail in extreme circumstances."

The agency said areas protected from flooding were not included in the map because York's defences only protect against a 1-in-75-year flood. A spokesman said that under a required national standard, areas needed to be protected against a 1-in-100-year flood before they could be shown as protected on the map.

But Mr Bayley said defences such as the Foss Barrier had succeeded in November 2000, during the worst floods to hit York in 300 years.

He said hundreds of households in, for example, Huntington Road, had been saved from inundation.

But they could now be blighted by being shown as at risk. He claimed this might make it more difficult for people to obtain insurance, and said he planned to raise his concerns with the agency.

An agency spokeswoman today defended the maps, insisting they were the most accurate and up to date ever produced.

"The visual map shows the risks to property if no flood defences existed," she said.

"The information relating to quantified risk is contained in the text which can be reached by clicking the 'learn more button' and clicking on the location you are interested in.

"The text for areas of Huntington Road shown in the dark blue area as "flooding from rivers or sea without defences" says that the risk is low. This means the chance of flooding each year is 0.5 per cent (1-in- 200) or less. This takes into account the effect of any flood defences that may be in this area, whether or not these are currently illustrated on the Flood Map.

"Once a person has entered their postcode and viewed the map, the website instructs people to "Click on 'learn more', then on your map location", this is the most important thing for people to do."

Updated: 08:27 Friday, October 08, 2004